Condenser.



E. WIKl CONDENSER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12, 1910.

982,405, Patented 12111.24, 1911.

m Ems; I INVEII TG R am/n.

' the water which passes .vionsly stored EDWARD WIKI, on LnonnnnswrrznnLann.

CONDENSER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2a, 1911.

Application filed August 12, 1910. Serial No. 576,803.

T 0 (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD 1111, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing in Lucernc, in the Canton of Lucerne, in the Republic of Switzerland, have invented a-certain new and useful Improvement in Condensers, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being .had to the accompanying drawings, which and is adapted to condense in an etiicient manner a widely fluctuating supply of steam, with an economy in the size'of the condensing apparatus.

In carrying out my invention I provide a condensing chamber or steam space with the usual connections, and provide in conjuno tion with the-steam space a coolin water space separated from the steam spaceliy thin wallsot' good heat conducting material, as is usual. in addition, I provide a tank or chamber which serves as an accumulator or reservoir as hereinafter described, and divide the cooling water space up .into parts or portions which-are so connected-with each other and with the accumulator or reservoir tank that the cooling water is caused to liow first through a portion oi the water space of the condenser into the reservoir,

and from the reservoir passes through the remaining portion of the water space of the condenser. 'With this arrangement and with a fluctuating quantity of steam to be condensed, the reservoir tank or chamber gradually fills up with relatively cold water during each period in which the sup-' ply ofsteam to be condensed is relatively small. During a following period in which the supply of steam to be condensed is relatively large, the relatively cool water proin the tank is discharged into the final portihn of the water space and is effective in abstracting heat fromthc steam condensed in the latter. During this period from the preliminary portion of the water space into the tank or reservoir is relatively hot, but the practically relatively hot water accumulating in the tank during a period in which the supply of steam is large is naturally discharged into a basin through the final portion of the cooling space. during a following period at which the supply of steam to be condensed is relatively small. During cach period at which the supply of steam is relatively small, the steanrcan be effectively condensed by the water passing through the preliminary portion of the cooling water space, though usually, of course, the water passing into the final cooling water space from the reservoir is not hot enough to prevent it from serving to some extent as a condensing agent. It will, of course, be understood that the capacity of the accumulator or reservoir should be great enough so that the reservoir willhohl all or practically all of the water passing into the accumulator during each of the periods of maximum steam supply. in some cases it may be desirable to make special provisions for insuring a relatively small intcrmiziture of water passing into the accumulator or reservoir, with that already therein, so that the entering water acts as like a solid piston, so to speak, to directly push out the water already filling the accumulator or reservoir.

The use of the invention 'is inherently adapted to produce suitable and efficient conditions of operatiomwith a fluctuating quantity of steainto be condensed. Moreover, where the steam supply is fluctuating, the use of the invention permits of the use of a smaller condenser than would other wise be possible, since the condenser proper needs to be proportioned, not to the maxi- 'mum supply of steam to be condensed but to the average steam supply. With a given 'rate of flow of cooling water into the condenser proper, the use of theinvention doubles the amount of steam whichcan be condensed, for. short intervals with the maintenance of the desired vacuum, since as much water iiows into the condenser fromthi-fres'ervoir as flows through the initial supply pipe.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claim annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding otthe invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing and; descriptive matter, which I have/illustrated and described forms 1n which the invention may be embodied,

Of the drawingsz'lj-igure.1 is a sectional elevation of a condenser embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial sectional elevation taken similarly to Fig. 1, and illustrating a modified form of the invention.

In the drawing, and referringv first to the construction shown in Fig. 1, A. represents the condenser; B the steam chamber thereof to which steam from the reciprocating engine, turbine. or the like, is admitted through the pipe B. B represents the discharge connection from the chamber B for water formed by the condensation of steam. B in the construction illustrated, represents the connection to the air pump for drawing air out of the chamber B. As shown, the connection B leads from the chamber B at the coolest point of the chamber. 1 B repre sents baflles for causing the steam to take a zig-zag course through the chamber B.

The cooling water space of the condenser is formed by chambers C and D at the ends of the chamber B, and by passages E, runningthrough the chamber B, and connecting chambers C and D. The cold water supply connection K runs to the lower end of the chamber C, and the cooling water finally leaves the condenser through the connection L, leading from the upper end of the chamber D. Barriers or partitions F in the compartments C and D cause the cooling water to take a generally zig zag course through, the chambers and passages of the -condenser, and the water space of the condenser proper is divided into a lower preliminary portion and an upper final portion by the barrier G. The two portions are'connected through the accumulator or reservoir J by the pipe H leading from the compartment D just below the barrier G, to the upper end of the accumulator J, and by the pipe I leading from the lower end of the accumulator J to the compartment D, just above the barrier G. To prevent water admitted to the top of the reservoir tI from sea r05 reservoir J to the outlet pipe I, perforated hafi'lesM may be arranged within the reservoir, as shown. These baflles serve to cause the water in the reservoir to act like a p'iston, so to speak, to bodily force out the water already in the reservoir, and thus prevent to a great extent any mixture between portions of water, within the reservoir of different temperatures. The accumulator J may be placed in any suitable location near the condenser, or more or less remote "as conditions may require; In some cases it may be desirable to place the accumulator or reservoir beneath the condenser. general I prefer to have the water pass into the reservoir J at its upper end, in some cases it may be desirable to admit it at the lower end, and discharge it at the upper end, as shown in Fig. 2.

While, in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I have herein illustrated and described the best form of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of my invention Without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having aiow described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a surface condens'r'the combination with the steam space and connection thereto, of a water space divided into two portions, a reservoir and connections between said reservoir and said portions whereby the cool-.

ing water is caused to flow first through a. portion of the water spaceof the condenser, then through the reservoir, and then through the remaining portion of the water space of the condenser, and relatively cool water is stored in said reservoir during a period in which the steam to be condensed is relatively small in amount, effective to assist in condensing the steam where a supply to be condensed is relatively large.

EDWARD WIKI. Witnesses: 2, l, ANZ Nrmtrnn,

warns IlARlM'ANN.

While in' in falling through the body of the water in the 

